Building construction



May 7, 1940. H. @LEMAN Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Harold Coleman, Chicago, Ill. Application January 26, 1939, Serial No. 253,004

5 Claims.

My invention relates to building construction and particularly to improved means for'connecting a column or a bracket or the like to a block of masonry, such as a part of a floor, a wall, or other support, or a ceiling. It has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts lcomprising a connector Which can be driven or pressed into eiective holding engagement with an opening in a piece of concrete.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved arrangement of this type comprising a U-bolt adapted to fit into openings in a block of masonry or concrete, together with means adapted by cooperation with the bolt when driven into operative position to insure that the bolt shall assume an effective gripping engagement with the openings in the concrete for holding the assembly permanently in position. It is another object of my invention. to provide an improved arrangement of this type by which the bolt formed of mild steel shall be effective so as to insure that the parts can be produced easily and cheaply.

It is another object of my invention to improve building construction of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The' preferred means Vby which I have accomplished my several objects are shown in the accompanying drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a side face view of my improved U-bolt.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the preferred form of plate for cooperation with the bolt of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a piece of concrete having two openings therein underrieath my improved plate ready for the reception of a cooperating bolt.

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 but with the bolt in preliminary position in the openings through the plate.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but with the bolt driven into its iinal operative position.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view at the line '6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through they lower end portion of a column provided with a plate portion embodying my improved construction, being substantially a section taken at the line I-l of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional View taken at the line 8 3 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, I0 indicates aU-bolt which in the form shown comprises a cross-bar portion II, and two leg portions I2 and I3, said three portions being formed integrally with each other from a'length of round metal bar bent into shape, there being short sharply curved portions where the legs merge into the cross-bar. Near their free ends, the legs are provided with lateral extensions at III produced by attening the round stock from which the bolt is formed. 4

For use with the U-bolt I0, I have provided a metal plate I5, having two angular notches I6 and. Il arranged at such distance from each other as to enable the legs of the U-bolt to be inserted through the notches so as to cause the bolt to straddle the portion of the plate between the notches. In the arrangement shown, the notches I@ and I'I comprise parts of square openings punched through the plate, the notches being in such spaced relation to each other as to cause the bolt to have a comparatively snug fit upon the straddled portion of the plate with the curved portions of the legs holding the cross-bar II in spaced relation to the plate, as is shown in Fig. 4. In the arrangement shown, the cross-bar portion II is straight in both a horizontal plane and a vertical plane.

In use, the plate l5 is placed in position on a face of a block I8 of masonry or concrete, or the like, which comprises a part of a floor, or a Wall, or some other structure which can be utilized as a support. Holes I9 and 20 are provided in registry with the holes through the plate, the holes I9 and 20 being preferably of the samesize asthat of the bar from which the U-bolt is formed. With the plate in position as shown in Fig. 3 the U-bolt is driven into the openings I9 and 2B, the lateral extensions or projections I4 of the legs I2 and I3 of the bolt being adapted to cut grooves 2l in opposite faces of the openings in the block as the bolt progresses to its iinal operative position. When lthe bolt reaches the position at which its movement is stopped by the engagement of the curved. portions of the legs with vthe notched. plate I5, the driving operation is continued until the cross-bar portion II is bowed toward the plate into the position as shown in Fig. 5. This bowing action serves to shorten theeiective length of the cross-bar portion of the bolt so as to bring the upper end portions of the legs into holding engagement with the angular notches I6 and II and so as to bring the legs I2 and I3 and their lateral projectionsv I4 into effective gripping engagement with the Walls of the openings i9 and 20. As a result, the U-bolt is locked very securely against withdrawal from the plate l5 and the block I8.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a metal column 22 of any approved type is shown, the column illustrated being one side portion of a metal door frame. The column 22 comprises a channel-iron 23 having a plate 24 rigidly connected therewith by Welding or otherwise, said plate 24 being provided with notches 25 and 26 for effective engagement with a U-bolt of the type above described. By the use of this arrangement, a door frame can be very quickly and very easily secured in position by the use of two U-bolts, each side portion of the frame being rmly held by one of said bolts against any movements with respect to the concrete floor to which it is attached.

My improved construction is very effective in its operation and can be produced cheaply enough to enable it to be used in building operations. It can be made to advantage from commercial stock and it does not require any tempering, hardening, annealing or other special treatment. The arrangement is such that the U-bolts are effective with comparatively small holes in the concrete or other masonry and such holes are not required to be precisely straight since the legs of my improved U-bolt will be deflected to one side to allow for any irregularities in the holes without detracting from the effectiveness of their holding engagement. Furthermore, my improved U-bolt is always brought in its final operative position into effective engagement with the plate l5 or the plate 24, being wedged into the angles of the notches by reason of the eiective shortening of the cross bar portion Il of the bolt. While I prefer to employ the form of device as shown in my drawing and as above described, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to such form and arrangement except so far as the claims may be so limited, it being understood that changes might well be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from my invention.

I claim:

l. A connector comprising in combination a metal plate having two edge bearings in spaced relation to each other with at least one of said bearings in the form of an angular notch, and a metal U-bolt having its legs in correspondingly spaced relation for enabling the legs to pass into straddling position on the portion of the plate between said bearings and to pass thence with a snug iit into openings in a block of masonry or the like, the cross-bar portion of said U-bolt being adapted when deformed by an intermediate bowing for changing its effective length to hold its changed form with the legs of the bolt pressed strongly into engagement with said bearings on the plate and strongly into engagement with wall portions of the openings in said block.

2. A connector comprising in combination a metal plate having two openings therethrough so as to provide angular notches oppositely disposed in spaced relation to each other, and a metal U-bolt having its legs in correspondingly spaced relation for enabling the legs to pass through said openings and to pass thence with a snug fit into openings in a block of masonry or the like, with curved portions at the ends of the legs holding the cross-bar portion of the U-bolt normally in spaced relation to the plate, said cross-bar portion being adapted when deformed by an intermediate bowing toward the plate to hold its changed form with the legs of the bolt pressed strongly into engagement with said notches and strongly into engagement with oppositely disposed wall portions of the openings in said block.

3. A connector comprising in combination a metal plate having two edge bearings in spaced relation to each other with at least one of said bearings in the form of an angular notch, and a metal U-bolt having its legs in correspondingly spaced relation for enabling the legs to pass into straddling position on the portion of the plate between said bearings and to pass thence with a snug t into openings in a block of masonry or the like, the legs of the U-bolt being of substantially uniform size throughout the greater portion of their length but being spread outwardly near their free end portions for providing in effect lateral extensions, the cross-bar portion of said U-bolt being adapted when deformed so as to change its eifective length to hold its changed form with the legs of the bolt pressed strongly into gripping engagement with the oppositely disposed wall portions of the openings in said block.

fl. A connector comprising in combination a metal plate having two openings therethrough so as to provide angular notches oppositely disposed in spaced relation to each other, and a metal U-bolt having its legs in correspondingly spaced relation for enabling the legs to pass through said openings and to pass thence with a snug t into openings in a block of masonry or the like, with curved portions at the ends of the legs holding the cross-bar portion of the U-bolt normally in spaced relation to the plate, the legs of the Ubo1t being of substantially uniform size throughout the greater portion of their length but being flattened near their free ends for providing portions of increased size horizontally, said cross-bar portion of said U-bolt being adapted when deformed by an intermediate bowing toward the plate to hold its changed form with the legs of the bolt pressed strongly into engagement with said notches and into tight gripping engagement with said openings in said block.

5. In a building construction, the combination of a metal column having a horizontally disposed fastening plate at its lower end with two openings therethrough so as to provide angular notches oppositely disposed in spaced relation to each other, and a metal U-bolt having its legs in correspondingly spaced relation for enabling the legs to pass through said openings and to pass thence with a snug t into openings in a block of masonry or the like, said legs being arranged to hold the cross-bar portion of the U-bolt normally in spaced relation to the plate, said cross-bar portion of said bolt being formed of metal adapted effectively to hold its changed shape when deformed by being bowed downwardly toward the plate at its intermediate portion and being adapted thus to press the legs of the bolt into gripping engagement with wall portions of said openings in said block.

HAROLD COLEMAN. 

